


A Link Between Worlds

by marryfuckkillhanniballecter



Category: Black Mirror, Girls (TV), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, How Do I Tag, Kylux - Freeform, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Video & Computer Games, Yet another Kylux AU, help me god
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-06
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-03-01 01:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13284063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marryfuckkillhanniballecter/pseuds/marryfuckkillhanniballecter
Summary: Adam Sackler was having a tough time playing Hamlet, as one would expect. Searching for something relaxing to listen to, he found Ash Starmer's stream archive. Adam was now touring Britain, where Ash lived. The very same Ash who got a ticket to watch Hamlet, starring the very same Adam, on the opening night, and the after-party./u/vallewombat came up and asked "Does Domhnall have a character which would definitely be shippable with Adam from girls?", and here we are.





	A Link Between Worlds

**Author's Note:**

> This is just setting up the story, getting our bodies ready. Hope you like it! Comments are really, really appreciated (:

Ash looked up from the Alolan twilight. Such was the whirlwind of emotions, even the icy-cold tea didn't faze him. He had just finished playing the main story on Pokemon Sun, and after three days of being submerged in the game, he could finally come up for air. There was just so much he wanted to say. How alive the region felt, how amazing the soundtrack was, but most of all, how dark but full of wonder and hope the story was. He felt like he could relate so much to the story of this 11-year-old, as silly as it sounded. His mother wasn't nearly as bad as hers, bless her heart, but something about how she could deny the past, how she could replace her family because she felt like they abandoned her hit him hard. After Black and White, he couldn't remember being this happy about a Pokémon game. Of course, HeartGold was among his favorites, and Black and White, but Sun and Moon quickly carved its way into his heart. He saw the same twilight in the real world, right in front of him. He felt sweat sticking to his whole body, his hair an oily mess, but it was worth it. He hadn't been this excited about a review in months and even his editor had noticed it.

It had been so long, but he still felt his heartstrings pulling him under around the anniversary of his brother's passing. They had absolutely nothing in common, even though they were twins. Jack was confident, he knew what he wanted and he went and got it, while he himself was always so unsure, nails bitten to bloody tips. But when they sat down to play something, anything, they knew their friendship was as real as their shared DNA. He vowed he would make his brother proud, that when he didn't know what to do, he'd just take a deep breath and take a plunge, as he always did when playing against him. Jack told him time and time again he had it in him, he just needed to trust his gut. And so did. He made gaming his life. He got a good job at a famous newspaper, albeit monotonous at times, and when the opportunity came along, he dove head-first into not only showing the world how much he loved and knew about video games, but also maybe, just maybe, being a link between people's fond memories to their tired day-to-day selves.

He checked his phone. A couple emails, a few texts and missed calls. Martha's name stood out and he couldn’t be happier. He met her in high school and they had been best friends ever since. She was there when Jack died, she was the one who stood by him, who held his head above the water. He called her immediately.

"Hey!"

"Boy, where have you been?!” She sounded actually worried. “I've been texting you for days! I was about to come up there myself!"

He rubbed his strained eyes. "I’m sorry! I had to play this game as quick as I could to get ready for the review. And it’s so good! You have no idea."

"Uhm, when did I hear that before?" She retorted, playfully.

"I mean it though!"

She laughed, relieved. "I bet it's good to finally play something that isn't a decade old"

"Hey! OG Animal Crossing is one of the best games Nintendo has ever released, you shut your mouth!" He smiled.

Martha smiled, and went on to more pressing subjects. "Anyway, what are you doing this Friday?"

"I don't know...” He scratched his head. “I'll probably stream something since I haven't in a while?"

"Forget it, you're coming with me."

It took him aback. "What?"

"I've got two tickets for this new version of Hamlet. And for the after party." He could hear her clapping excitedly.

"Haven't you watched it like 20 times already?" He said, yawing.

He walked down the stairs towards the kitchen for a snack, his stomach having given up on showing any signs of life.

"Yeah, but this one is different! It's a modern version!"

"You mean like Tennant's?"

"Sort of... But it's got that urban hipster millennial Brooklyn vibe? I know it sounds terrible but it actually looks pretty good. And the guy who plays him is so hot!"

"Eh." He shrugged, biting a tired, old grilled cheese.

"Ash, please! My couch misses you!"

"Ugh, fine...” He said with his mouth full, and swallowed. “I miss your couch too. I need to rebrand it with my bony arse."

She laughed. "Look, I gotta go. I'll text you the details."

"Alright, I'll book the tickets in a bit. Talk to you later!"

"Bye! And thank you so much for coming with me. I promise you're gonna love it."

He snorted. "We'll see about that! Bye!"

* * *

After overwhelming critical acclaim and a downpour of five-star reviews, Hamlet was going abroad, much to Adam's displeasure. He had eight hours of misery ahead of him and nothing but the already downloaded playlists on Spotify to keep him company. Well, that, and boring in-flight entertainment. He scrolled for what felt like hours. Friends? Eh, next. Game of Thrones? Pass. Girls? Fuck, no! He did have his tablet with him but he couldn't be bothered to read anything. He just wanted to kick back and sleep. His phone lit up and he saw a text from Hannah.

"text me when you get here and we'll come pick you up. have a good flight! :D"

He cursed Hannah for going a week ahead. They'd be staying there for two months, why did she want to go early? It was just like her. They'd known each other for a long time,  running in the same circles, but they'd only gotten closer recently, having been cast on the same play and touring across the pond. He didn't find her completely terrible and she tolerated him, so one could even say they became friends. He held his temples, keeping the bubbling anger at bay. He tapped on Spotify. It took him a while, but he ended up going for his latest safe haven, a three-hour playlist of Animal Crossing piano covers. He hadn't played video games in years, but he'd recently rekindled his affection for the Animal Crossing soundtrack, especially since the music he had been listening to get in-character had been so emotionally draining, let alone living and breathing Hamlet for the past year. You can't go wrong with Stravinsky, but he really needed to clear his head. He hadn't had much time between the New York shows and he was already hopping on the British tour. Even after all these years, he still felt uneasy about opening nights, and it was so far from home…

He pulled down his hoodie over his sunglasses, making it that tiny bit darker. As he closed his eyes, he thought about Ash and wondered how long he hadn't streamed. Not that he could ever catch him live, given the time zones, but he had listened to the same VODs over and over and he wouldn't admit, but he did miss him a bit. How could he relate so much to a complete stranger? He felt like a creep, but then again he was creep, he thought to himself and shrugged. He had found Ash's stream archive YouTube channel by pure chance when he'd accidentally hit search on “Animal Crossing” instead of “Animal Crossing Soundtrack”. The videos were around 4 hours-long, so he just thought they were long playlists. When he started watching one and realized it was someone playing the game, he first scoffed and was about to close the window. However, something about seeing that game, the game that took him out of his conflicted teenage years and helped him get sober, being played by someone his age, and not one of the thousand stupid kids YouTube sprouted every day, made him stay and give it a shot, and it was worth every minute. He lived by himself and although he never felt lonely - glad about finally having his personal space -, a friendly voice roaming the corridors was indeed soothing. He never really understood why people would want to watch other people play video games and not just play them themselves, but now he did. He finally drifted asleep, humming K.K. Bossa in his head, just like he used to when he was younger.


End file.
